Weight-holder for cabinet-gymnasiums



(N0 Model.)

J. E. WHITNEY. WEIGHT HOLDER FOR CABINET GYMNASIUMS. No 491,326.

Patented Feb. 7

UNlTED rates arena tries.

WElGHT-HOLDER FOR CABlNET==GYMNASlUMS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. senses, dated February 7, 1893.

Application filed January 18, 1892, Serial No. 418,?78. (No model.)

To osZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, Janus EUGENE WHIT- NEY, of Rochester, in the county of Monroe and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in iVeight-Holders for Cabinet-Gym nasiums, which improvement is fully set forth in the following specification and shown in the accompanying drawings.

The object of my invention is to produce weight-holders for a portable cabinet gymnasium for use in private houses, business places, 50., said gymnasium being provided with an outfit of dumb-bells Indian-clubs, weights and cords the; the invention being hereinafter more fully described and particularly pointed out in the claim.

Referring to the drawings Figure l is a front View of a cabinet provided with a pair of weigl'i't holders. Fig. 2. is a side elevation vertically sectioned on the dotted line 2 2 in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a front elevation of my improved sliding weight holder loaded with dumb-bells. Fig. a is a side elevation of the same seen as indicated by arrow in Fig. 3.

Referring to the parts A is the inclosing case of the cabinet,it being preferably made of wood, and box shape; and secured against the wall ll of a room by simple fasteners, as screws a, passing through the back of the case and into the base 0, as shown. The fastening screws preferably pass through plates, 7), against the inner surface of the back of the cabinet so as to have abroaderbearing thereagainst.

0 c are parallel vertical guide-rods held in pairs by branched holders (Z, at their upper ends and steps e at their lower ends, the holders d. and steps being secured rigidly to horizontal bars and g respectively made fast to the inner surface of the cabinet.

h 72. are my improved sliding weight-holders made of wood, held to slide vertically along the respective pairs of guide-rods, there beiu g a buffer "21 beneath each weight-holder at the foot of the guide rods. Each weight-holder is provided with a cord pulley 7c occupying a slot at its upper end. Vertically above each is an overhanging arm Z which has a similar cord pulley it over which pulleys arranged vertically, operating cords u it pass. The cords aa, are secured to the under surface of the bar f, at it, (Fig. 2.) and pass thence down around the respective pulleys 71; 7c, in the weight-holders, thence up over the pulleys n a respectively, being provided at their ends with handles o to be grasped by the person exercising.

Near, and in front of, the pairs of guiderods, at their lower ends, are placed pivoted or swiveled pulley-blocks p, (the one at the left being omitted in Fig. l for the purpose of showing parts back of it.) These pulley blocks have pulleys 7", and are open at one side, as shown, so that the cords may be passed in onto the pulleys r, as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 2,when it is wished in practice to pull in an upward direction on the cords. blocks are swiveled upon headed pins m inserted upward through face plate y-secured to the floor of the cabinet so as to turn horizontally while the person exercising sits in front of the cabinet and swings the hands outward as he pulls upon the cords. By means of these slotted or open-sided pulley blocksp it will be seen that the apparatus may be readily changed in order to secure a variety.

of movements in exercising, it being possible by the employment of the open-sided blocks, to enter the cord a under the sheave r, so as to secure an upward pull or a horizontal pull from the bottom of the apparatus, or, by disengaging saidcord, to secure a downward or lateral pull, without the necessity of outering the cord end wise through the small opening through which the rope passes in the ordinary closed block seen at Z which in the present case would necessitate the removal of the handle 1; and be otherwise vexatious and inconvenient. Thus it will be seen that the cord may be readily inserted for use in securing a downward pull, under the lower pulley, and such pulley being swiveled in the base of the cabinet admits of securing a pull upon the cord in any lateral direction desired.

The weight-holders are provided with hangers 8 upon which to place one or more iron or wooden dumb-bells D, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, to increase the weight when in practicing it becomes necessary. These hangers s are each formed with a shank s fitting into a recess formed in the front face of the weight holder, and are forked or branched at their outer ends, as clearly seen in the drawings, one of the branches 8 curving upward and The pulley- ICO the other branch 8 curving first downward and then upward whereby two hooks are formed either or both of which may be used for hanging weights in the form of dumb-bells or other articles, upon the weight holder to increase the weight thereon. I prefer to provide the weight holder with two vertical series of hangers 5 one on each side and to arrange the dumb-bells transversely across between each pair as clearly seen.

\Vhile I have only shown two hangers in each of these vertical series, it will be understood that any desired number may be used.

The axles z of the cord pulleys n 7.; and r are preferably made to turn in wooden bearings t, as shown in Fig. 3. with the pulleys and the bearingst are made of hard wood, slightly conical in shape and saturated with oil, oil and plumbago, or other suitable lubricant. These conical wooden bearing pieces are inserted into the respect- The axles are rigid E, held by forked holders b in the cabinet. It has an open front which is usually closed or covered by a sliding curtain; and the top of the cabinet may be used for a book shelf or a similar purpose. The cabinet is light and portable and may be conveniently set up in any room or office for convenient use at any time when the occupant may feel the need of exercise as a relaxation from study or mental work. When made up in taste and with pleasing ornamentation it is a desirable article of furniture for the room as well as being very useful in furnishing convenient means for pleasant and healthful exercise.

hat I claim as my invention, is:

In an exercising apparatus, the combination of a casing, a vertically movable Weight holder suspended therein and provided with a series of sockets in its face, and hangers each having a shank adapted to enter and lit the sockets in the Weight holder, the outer end of each of the hangers being forked or branched, the upper branch curving upward and the lower branch extending downward and then curving upward, substantially as set forth.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand, this 19th day of December, 1891, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JAMES EUGENE IVHITNEY.

lVitnesses:

ENos B. WHITMORE, M. L. MCDERMOTT. 

